My last column was on uplifters. By this I mean people who lift others up. When I wrote the column, I was not aware that the week it was published, I would be uplifted by spending two days with the leadership team at Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) in California. This organization is well regarded for many reasons. One is that Loma Linda has the world’s first proton unit used for cancer patients. Another is the groundbreaking efforts of Dr. Leonard Bailey, work that led to the world’s very first infant heart transplants.
Dr. Robert Martin, an anesthesiologist who participated in the world’s first infant heart transplant on an infant known as “Baby Fae,” did a remarkable presentation. His message was that everyone is important. Dr. Martin put up a list of names and asked if the people in the room recognized them. They were the people who were in the operating room in 1984 when the infant heart transplant took place. While some of the names were known, overall, there was a pause. When Dr. Martin mentioned Dr. Bailey, who was the heart surgeon in the Baby Fae surgery, everyone in the room knew who he was. Dr. Martin acknowledged that Dr. Bailey certainly deserved the recognition he received. However, everyone in that operating room and hundreds of people who worked behind the scenes also played vital roles in the procedure.
Dr. Martin then showed a photo of the offensive line of the 2024 Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Very few people knew the names of the linemen. Then Dr. Martin showed a photo of the Kansas City Chiefs’ starting quarterback and asked the group if they knew who he was. It seemed the entire room responded with “Patrick Mahomes.” Dr. Martin’s message was that while Patrick Mahomes is an exceptional quarterback, all the members of the offensive line are a contributing factor to his and the team’s success.
He also shared that recently he had reached out to an environmental worker at LLUH and thanked the person for their work. He told the employee that by doing such a great job making sure the area is so clean, they are preventing infections and saving lives.
Dr. Martin is right. Everyone is important. This goes way beyond healthcare. It is true in every role in work and life. I close some of my talks with my quote, “Never underestimate the difference you make.” We are all difference-makers.
Some suggestions:
- Take time to appreciate the impact you make. Being kind, forgiving, and helpful makes a difference in the lives of others.
- If you are in a leadership role, spend time with each person and share that what they do is important. Everyone is vital. Every job matters.
- Be a “get to” person versus a “got to” or “have to” person. The way we think about what we do every day impacts how we experience our work and our life.
- Eliminate the word “just” from the culture. I cringe when I hear someone explain their role by saying, “I am just a __________ (fill in the role).”
Upon departure, I thanked Dr. Richard Hart, the president of LLUH; Dr. Anthony Hilliard, the CEO of LLUMC; and Lyndon Edwards, the COO of LLUMC, for the opportunity to be with the group. Thank you, each and every member of Loma Linda University Health. You are a remarkable group.
I left this event uplifted. I felt gratitude that I get to do this work. I felt love. If I put up a sign to summarize how I felt as I left this leadership session, it would read, “Love Is Spoken Here.”
